The 91探花Faculty Senate 鈥� which holds its first meeting Oct. 28 鈥� starts the school year eager to join new President Mark Emmert in creating an agenda for the University鈥檚 future, says G. Ross Heath, this year鈥檚 Senate chair.
On Aug. 1, Heath, a professor of oceanography and dean emeritus of the College of Ocean and Fisheries Sciences, stepped up from vice chair to chair of the Senate. Ashley Emery, a professor of mechanical engineering, is the new vice chair.
鈥淭hings are good, there鈥檚 lots of discussion and consultation,鈥� Heath said of the current Senate. He said as it heads into a new year, the Senate鈥檚 focus will necessarily blend with President Emmert鈥檚 goals for the institution as they evolve, but that some issues remain from previous years.
He said the Senate needs to increase awareness of shared governance throughout the University, and will ponder the future of the UW鈥檚 Tacoma and Bothell campuses. Also, given trouble in the last year, the Senate needs to take a more active approach to its relation to intercollegiate athletics. And, as every year, faculty salaries and retention remain a concern 鈥� although perhaps slightly less intense this year due to a recent small salary increase.
Heath said the Senate鈥檚 Tri-Campus Task Force will look at possible futures for the UW鈥檚 three campuses. 鈥淲hat are the pros and cons? Should they be more separate, or more collaborative?鈥�
He said he鈥檇 like to see the Senate work toward enhancing shared governance throughout the UW. Such an approach should work at all institutional levels, he said. He noted that the 91探花already has strong shared governance at the departmental level, but 鈥渢here are still some soft spots at the college level.鈥�
A recent facultywide salary increase of 2 percent 鈥渕uted concern about salaries鈥� for the moment, Heath said. But as the economy improves the 91探花will once again start losing people to other institutions if pay is not increased to be at or near market levels.
鈥淲e have to be competitive,鈥� Heath said. Losing longtime faculty over pay concerns threatens the health of the institution, he said. He likened it to a community 鈥渆ating the seed corn鈥� that is essential for future years鈥� crops.
Heath feels that the Faculty Senate 鈥渄ropped the ball鈥� in recent years by not attending more closely to intercollegiate athletics, where negative headlines have abounded in recent months. He said the Senate鈥檚 advisory committee would likely be more active in this area this year. Heath said he鈥檇 like to see the Senate 鈥渁 little more engaged than it historically has been鈥� in such matters.
With groups such as the Faculty Senate, issues tend to continue from one year to the next. Such is the case with the UW鈥檚 concerns over the diversity of the faculty and the Reorganization, Consolidation and Elimination of Programs policy, or RCEP, which the Senate worked on last year when art professor Doug Wadden was chairman.
Heath said the Senate鈥檚 draft revisions of the policy have been discussed with the administration and are being further refined.
The UW鈥檚 last accreditation report stated the institution lacks sufficient goals for student achievement and and appropriate ways to measure progress toward those goals.
Heath said that this issue may be taken up this year, but the Senate鈥檚 role relative to other campus groups is yet to be determined.
And of course, Heath said, there remain ongoing concerns about funding at the UW.
鈥�(Former 91探花President) Bill Gerberding always said, 鈥楾his state has a much better university than it pays for,鈥� and that鈥檚 really true 鈥� this is an exceptional university,鈥� Heath said. 鈥淵et if you look at the state budget, you鈥檇 wonder, 鈥楬ow is that possible?鈥欌��
Shakespeare said some have greatness thrust upon them, and such seems to be the case with Heath鈥檚 new job. Heath said the Senate chairmanship is officially a part-time job, but is rarely limited to part-time hours or effort. 鈥淭he last chair said he attended about 400 meetings during the year. There are not many days when you don鈥檛 have meetings.鈥�